Low-effort Microgestures
Investigating ergonomic factors for subtle input design.
Current
University of Bath
Previous
Meta Reality Labs
HCI Lab, Saarland University & Max Planck Institute
Media Interaction Lab, Austria
National University of Singapore
Making computing
always-available.
I am an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at the University of Bath, where I lead the Advanced Interaction and Sensing (AIS) Lab. I also hold an honorary appointment with NHS Bristol Trust and am a Fellow of the Association of British Science Writers.
My research bridges Machine Learning and Human–Computer Interaction to enable always-available computing. At the AIS Lab, we develop practical solutions in three areas:
01
Smart wearables that track user motion.
02
Input techniques that support hands-busy, eyes-free contexts.
03
Robotic systems that assist people proactively in daily life.
Our lab specializes in developing novel approaches to interaction design, sensing, and AI, creating new ways for people to engage with computing systems, especially when hands are busy or attention is focused elsewhere. Our research is published in top venues including ACM CHI, UIST, DIS, and TOCHI, and has been featured by major media outlets such as the BBC, NPR, and The Independent.
Background
I received my Ph.D. from the Human–Computer Interaction group at the Max Planck Institute and Saarland University in Germany. My experience spans both industrial and academic labs, enabling me to translate novel research into scalable technologies with real-world impact in healthcare and consumer applications.
Outside the lab, I collect fountain pens, enjoy clever puns, and love strolling in new cities. I welcome connections regarding student opportunities and research partnerships, or simply to chat about my experiences living across seven countries. Please feel free to contact me.
Jan 02Pushed the new version of this new website in beta
Jan 02Some exciting news coming from the lab - stay tuned!
AISLAB
(pronounced “ace”)
Advanced Interaction & Sensing
OUR TOOLS
_
MISSION
To create always-available computing systems that seamlessly integrate into daily life, enabling inclusive, impactful, and practical human-technology interactions.
Explore researchResearch Areas
Ambient Robotics
Reappropriating everyday objects into intelligent agents.
Sparse Sensing
Solving complex perception problems with minimal data points.
Edge AI
Creating near-zero latency inference pipelines that priortize privacy.
Always-Available Computing
Seamlessly integrating digital control into physical tasks, solving the disconnect between the task at hand and technology to support the primary action without interruption — across contexts like:
Healthcare
Ensure immediate accessibility for motor-impaired users and sterility for clinicians via contact-free, low-effort interactions.
Smart Homes
Anticipate users' needs using ambient sensing to adjust comfort instantly, eliminating the need for loud, explicit commands.
Mobility
Preserve attention for commuters using continuous eyes-free interaction that ensures safety while navigating busy streets.
Industrial
Augment manual workflows with tool-aware AI agents that proactively verify precision and safety in demanding work environments.
Featured Projects
Beyond Vacuuming
Reappropriating idle domestic robots for ubiquitous computing, providing over 100 use cases and a design space to guide researchers and designers.
Learn More
GraspUI
Design space for object-centric microgesture interactions throughout the grasping process, from pre-grasp to post-grasp phases.
Learn More
SparseIMU
Computational design tool to solve a multi-factorial problem of recognizing always-available input with minimal sensors.
Learn More
SmartSleeve
Wearable textile that can detect 22 surface and deformation gestures, such as twirl, twist, fold, push, and stretch—in real time.
Learn MoreAIS Lab Team
Master's and Undergraduates
Abdullah Ijaz MSc
Dimitra Mogire MSc
Jack Baker UG
Oyin Atere MSc
Sai Charan Miryala MSc
Zebedee Marsh MSc
Ph.D. Alumni
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Note on publication venues: In my research area of human–computer interaction, ACM CHI, UIST, DIS, and TOCHI are the most influential venues. CHI is consistently ranked #1 by Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic. Each venue follows a multi-stage, highly selective review process, with submissions evaluated by 4–6 international topic experts and program committee members.
Service & Talks
Program Committee
2026
ACM DISAssociate Chair
2026
ACM AlpCHIAssociate Chair
2025
ACM UISTAssociate Chair
2025
ACM CHIAssociate Chair - UX & Usability
2025
ACM TEIAssociate Chair
2024
ACM CHIAssociate Chair - Novel Devices
2023
ACM UISTAssociate Chair
2023
ACM CHISession Chair - More ways to use phones
2022
ACM CHIAssociate Chair - Student Design Competition
Reviewing (100+ Papers)
CHI: '19–'24***
UIST: '19–'24*
DIS: '22, '24*
TEI: '18, '23–'25*
IMWUT: '22, '23
ISS: '22, '23
UIST: '19–'24*
DIS: '22, '24*
TEI: '18, '23–'25*
IMWUT: '22, '23
ISS: '22, '23
NordiCHI: '24*
AH: '18–'20
IJHCS: '19, '20, '24
MobileHCI: '19
Eurographics: '25
SIGGRAPH Asia: '19, '20
AH: '18–'20
IJHCS: '19, '20, '24
MobileHCI: '19
Eurographics: '25
SIGGRAPH Asia: '19, '20
* Special Recognition
Selected Invited Talks
2025
London Spinal Cord Injury Centre
"Always-Available Computing for Everyone: Subtle Finger Motions to Friendly Robots" (Invited by Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital)
2025
Microsoft Research, Cambridge
"Always-Available Computing: Designing for the Busy World using Hand Gestures and Robotics" (Invited by Dr. Payod Panda)
2024
Ultraleap
"Design and Recognition of Microgestures for Always-Available Input" (Invited by Dr. Iain Wallace)
2024
University of Birmingham
"Design and Recognition of Microgestures for Always-Available Input" (Invited by Dr. Hyunyoung Kim)
2023
University of Bristol
"Design and Recognition of Microgestures for Always-Available Input" (Invited by Prof. Mike Fraser)
2022
University of Waterloo
"Design and Recognition of Microgestures for Always-Available Input" (Invited by Prof. Daniel Vogel)
2022
University of Toronto
"Design and Recognition of Microgestures for Always-Available Input" (Invited by DGP Lab)
2021
MPI Informatics
"Building Microgesture Dataset" (Invited by Prof. Christian Theobalt)
2017
The Art of Creative Networking
"Beyond Touch, Swipe, and Tap for Smart Clothing"
2014
Mozilla Festival
"Sensory Framework for Converting Ideas into a Web App"
Teaching
2024
Applied Data Science
Masters • Full Year
w/ Ken Cameron
2024
Theory of HCI
Masters • Sem 2
w/ Dr. Ollie Hanton
2023
Applied Data Science
Masters • Full Year
w/ Ken Cameron
2023
Theory of HCI
Masters • Sem 2
w/ Dr. Ollie Hanton
2022
Applied Data Science
Masters • Sem 2
w/ Ken Cameron
Selected Press
BBC
Robot vacuums 'could water plants or play with cat'
BBC World News America
TV Feature on Robot Vacuums
The Independent
Robot vacuums are ‘too idle’ and can be reprogrammed to water plants
Homes & Gardens
'I hope one day, a vacuum robot can bring me coffee...'
DIGIT
Scientists Reprogramme Robot Vacuum, Put Forward Over 100 New Uses
London Daily News
How simple hand gestures – like picking up a cup – will boost productivity
Hackster.io
Liquid-Powered Interface Gives Digital Tech a Real Feel
New Atlas
Hydraulic haptic mice could have us squeezing sacks of water
University of Bath
The soft tech that responds to your taps and squeezes
Interesting Engineering
Smart clothes: New tech turns everyday garments into motion trackers
Join the Lab
The University of Bath is recognized as a top institution globally. See our ranking here.
For prospective students: The Advanced Interaction & Sensing Lab is part of the BathHCI group in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Bath. Working as one team, we value the word our, not mine or yours — because progress, ownership, and learning belong to everyone together.
We are an interdisciplinary group brought together by curiosity and a desire to solve problems that matter. Our backgrounds span interaction design, machine learning, electronics, and psychology, but what unites us is how we work: with respect, openness, and inclusivity. Diverse perspectives make the work stronger, and everyone should feel welcome to contribute, question, and grow. We share ownership of both our successes and our failures.
If you are interested in undergraduate or master’s dissertations, research visits, PhD, or postdoctoral opportunities, feel free to reach out to as5339@bath.ac.uk. Let’s explore what we can build together.
Partnerships
The Advanced Interaction & Sensing Lab actively collaborates with industry partners to translate cutting-edge research into real-world impact. We work with companies ranging from early-stage startups to global organizations, offering access to deep expertise in interaction design, robotics, sensing technologies, and human-centric AI.
Partners can engage with the lab through research consultancy, sponsored research projects, and long-term strategic collaborations. We also provide opportunities to work with and evaluate technologies using our state-of-the-art facilities, including our markerless motion capture studio for studying human movement, interaction, and behavior in naturalistic settings.
Collaboration models are designed to be flexible and industry-friendly. We support clear, well-defined intellectual property (IP) arrangements from the outset, including options for foreground IP ownership, licensing, and joint exploitation, in line with University of Bath policies. This ensures that both academic and commercial objectives are aligned, enabling partners to confidently invest in research that can move beyond the lab and into products, services, and deployed systems.
If your organization is interested in shaping future interaction technologies, sponsoring impactful research, or exploring bespoke collaborations, we would be delighted to discuss partnership opportunities. Please reach out to Adwait at as5339@bath.ac.uk.
Contact
Dr. Adwait Sharma
Wessex House, 9.11
Department of Computer Science, University of Bath
Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
Telephone: +44 1225 387592
Email: as5339@bath.ac.uk